When you read or hear the word ‘crochet’, your first thought may be of your grandma, or perhaps a scene from a Jane Austen novel. For me, crocheting means self-expression and hours of fun. Crochet has always received plenty of love from a wide range of people, but during the Coronavirus pandemic, it has had a sort of renaissance, especially amongst the young women of Generation Z. Now I am far away from being Gen Z (who are defined as mid 90’s to 2010) but I appreciate it for the same reasons.
Crochet started trending because it has the same pull and attraction as thrifting does, which is also incredibly trendy amongst Generation Z. Making your own clothes is a form of sustainable slow fashion. Despite whether you use ethically sourced yarn or not, you are at least in some way avoiding the endless cycle of waste that is synonymous with the fast fashion industry. Additionally, the crochet boom can be linked to the resurgence of 70s fashion trends that we have seen over the past few years in the form of platform boots and flared pants.
The pandemic saw a resurgence in multiple household skills and activities such as baking, knitting, embroidery and cross-stitching, but the one that has seen the most growth in the wider world is crochet, today a whole new generation is discovering and using crochet as an embellishment of their identity. And frankly, it is very trendy.
My crochet journey started way before Gen Z were even twinkles. In fact, I was taught in the 70’s by my Nana’s who all crocheted, knitted and sewed as a matter of necessity. I started with granny square blankets, still my go to pattern. I lapsed in my punk teenage years, then took it up again when I was pregnant. Again blankets and baby clothes. In my most recent and longest lasting crochet period I have developed my own patterns. I’ve a passion for traditional patterns and different forms of fibre craft, from granny square to Nalbinding.
Learning to crochet is so much more accessible now thanks to YouTube and TikTok. But, a word of caution, especially for the UK crocheter. I learnt my skills before the Internet or even video was invented, entirely from printed patterns.
The outcome of these viral videos can be seen on Depop a fashion marketplace platform. Depop enables users to sell and purchase clothing items, often second-hand or hand-made to create a more sustainable shopping experience. Depop functions on a peer-to-peer basis, meaning anyone can post their items for sale. As such, there is a wide range of crocheted items available which sell for increasingly higher prices, especially if they contain some of the viral crochet TikTok creations such as the Taylor Swift Dress or Hexicardigan.
I am so happy crochet is ‘in’. If anything, learning to crochet has provided me with an outlet for my stress and anxiety during difficult times and has taught me a little more about resilience. Not to mention that there is honestly nothing better than saying “Oh this, well I made it myself”
What Kate Made Today 